Telephone-exchange system



l. L. WRIGHT.

TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEMl APPLlcAloN man JuLYlzx |911.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.,

,ma M

Wren STATES PATEN OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. WRIGHT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES R. GARFIELD, TRUSTEE, ,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

` Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patnted Allg. 24, 1920.

Original application filed February 26., 1912, Serial No. 680,015. Patent No. 1,244,571, dated October` 30,

1917. Divided and this application led July 12, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnrH L. lVnIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, and useful Improvements in Telephone-EX- change Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone eX- change systems and especially to semi-automatic systems which employv switching mechanism controlled by operators for eecting connections between subscribers.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 680,015, filed February 26, 1912, Patent No. 1,244,571, October 30, 1917. l

The main feature of this invention is the provision of means to dispense'with the operators transmitter so that it will be unnecessary for her to ask the number lof the wanted party, since this operation is automatically performed. l

More specifically, my invention relates to the provision of means whereby a phonograph or other similar mechanism is tem porarily connected to the calling line to challenge the calling subscriber to give the number of the desired line.

The drawings diagrammatically represent va portion of a telephone system embodying the present invention. Only so much vof the system is disclosed as is necessary for a clear understanding of the same. For the rectangles designated 1, 2 and 6 in this drawing, the circuit arrangements of Figures 1,

'2 and 6 of my copendin'g application above mentioned may be substituted. However, these particular circuit arrangements are not essential to the operation of this invention.

lt is believed that the invention will best be understood by describing the method of establishing a connection between a calling subscriber at station A with a called subscriber at station AA. When the subscriber at station A removes his receiver from its switchhook. a non-numerical switch or primary switch, whose movable contacts are designated 63, is operated in the well known manner to engage the fixed terminals 8 and 9 individual to the calling line. Thereupon an idle key set switch, whose movable have invented certain new` Astantlyrotating in lthe direction indicated Serial No. 180,132.

brushes are designated 167, is operated in the well known manner to engage the fixed terminals individual to conductors 60 and 61, which conductors, through the operation of the primary switch, are connected to the calling line.

As soon as the idle key set switch is connected to the calling line, a signal or signals are given by means not shown to inform the operator that a call is awaiting her attention. The operator thereupon depresses -listeningkey 848 to inductively connect a phonograph to the calling line instead of the ordinary transmitter of the operators telephone set'. The depression of key 848 closes the circuit of the listening relay 155, the action of which4 connects the re'- ceiver and the secondary Winding of the induction coil to the tip and sleeve conductors 150 and-151 respectively, of the trunk. The circuit of the relay 800 is also closed at this time by the following path: ground, contactsof the key 848, conductor 804, winding of the relay 800, contacts 840 of an `interrupting device to battery B. The relay 800 operating closes the circuit of relay 805 through the contact springs 845 to battery B. The relay 805 attracts its armature and thereby completes a locking circuit for itself through its right-hand armature and contact. leans vare provided to eifect the timely connection and disconnection of the phonograph, thereby insuring that a complete phrase will be sent from the. phonograph. This means comprises three disks 810, 820 and 830 which are mounted on the same shaft and as shown are conby the arrows. The projection 825 on lthe disk 820 is positioned a little in advance of projection v815 on the disk 810. When the projection 825 opens the contacts 845, the circuit of relay 805 is momentarily open, but as soonv as the contacts 845 are again closed, the relay 805 has its circuit again completed through the contacts of relay 800 and con/` tacts 845. When the projection 815 opens the contacts 840, the circuit of relay 800 is' broken and itV immediately Afallsback and remains in that condition, since the button 848 is of a non-locking type. Since the relay 805 is energized and the relay 800 is denerfic gized, the transmitting device 855 is connected to the winding of the primary of the operators induction coil. A

The disk 830 has mounted upon it a phonographic record which will produce certain words such as number please. The word number begins at point 831 on the line 835 over which a needle travels. This point is so located that it is engaged by the needle immediately following the break of the contacts 840 caused by the actionof a projection 815.

It therefore follows that,as soon as the relay 800 is denergized, the words number please are reproduced by the phonographic horn 850, which in turn transmits the sound t'o `the transmitting device 855. As soon as the complete sentence has been sent a suitable number of times, the energizing circuit of the relay 805 is; broken at contacts 845 which are opened by the projection 825.

vSince the relay 800 ,is denergized, and since the relay 805 has no guarding or additional energizing circuit, this last named lrelay deenergizes. The denergization of the relay 805 disconnects the wire 801, preventing any further action of the transmitting device through the operators induction coil.

In case the operator wishes to have a numlber repeated, she simply has to depress the button 848 again, which will connect thev phonographic attachment to the primary induction coil as before described.

After ascertaining the number of the desired line the operator actuates a sending device not shown to transmit successive series of impulses over` conductors 150 and' 151 to control 'the setting of automatic switches to complete the connection to the called station AA. The brushes 56 of one of these switches are shown. Since the control of the setting and release of the various switches forms no part of this invention, it

will be understood that they may be con-` ter, and adapted to produce message impulses in the circuit of the latter, means for actuating the sound-reproducing means, and

4means for controlling the transmission of tev impulses to allow the same to begin only at a predetermined portion of a message.

`2. In a telephone system,-the combinatlon with a subscribers line, of a transmitter adapted to be electrically connected therewith, a sound-producing device associated with the transmitter and adapted to produce message impulses in said transmitter circuit and subscribers line, means for actuating said device, and means for closing the transmitter circuit to allow the transmission ci the impulses to begin only at a predetermined portion of a. message.

3. ln a telephone circuit, the combination with a subscribers line, of a transmitter, means for establishing electrical connection between the transmitter and a subscribers line, a sound-reproducing device associated with the transmitter and adaptedy to produce message' impulses in the transmitter circuit and subscribers line, electro-magnets for controlling the transmitter circuit, means for actuating the electro-magnets to close the transmitter circuit to allow the transmission of the impulses to begin only 'at a predetermined portion of the message.

4. in a telephone system, the combination with subscribers lines, of an operators circuit including a transmitter vadapted to be connected with a subscribers line, soundreproducing means associated with the transmitter, means for actuating the sound-reproducing means, and means for completing the transmitter circuit to allow the transmission of impulses to begin only when the sound producing means occupies a predetermined position.

5. In a telephone system, the combination with subscribers lines, of an perators circuit, a transmitter in said circuit and normally disconnected therefrom, means controlled by the operator for connecting the circuit with a subscribers line,', a phonographic device associated with the transmitter, means for operating the phonographic device, means for connecting the transmitter to the subscribers line, to begin the transmission of impulses only when the phonographic device occupies a predetermined position, and means for disconnecting the transmitter from the subscribers line.

6. In a telephone system, the combination with subscribers lines, of anoperators circuit, a transmitter associated therewith but normally disconnected therefrom, means for connecting the operators circuit to a subscribers line, a phonographic record and sound-reproducing device associated with the transmitter, means for moving the record to operate the reproducing device, a relay, a second relay controlling the circuit of the first-mentioned relay, means operating synchronously with 'the record to interrupt said first relay circuit, other means operating synchronously with and after said interrupting means to interrupt the second relay circuit, and means responsive to the action or the relays for connecting-the transmitter to and for disconnecting the transmitter Jfrom said operatorie circuit.

In witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of July, A. D. 1917.

JOSEPH L. WRIGHT. 

